| dc.description.abstract | For the first time, a controller is presented for roll motion damping, exclusively by the use of air cushion pressure, on a surface effect ship (SES) with a longitudinally split air cushion. The Wave Craft, manufactured by Umoe Mandal, is considered in this study. Experimental testing of the control system and split cushion design is done by utilizing a model scale vessel. The roll motion dynamics are modeled, and together with the pressure dynamics for the air cushions included in a linear control plant model and a nonlinear process plant model. The models are implemented in Simulink and verified through model test comparisons. A tunable and a hybrid PID controller is implemented and tested. Two Kalman filters are implemented to provide suitable feedback signals for the controllers.
Model test results indicate that roll motions are damped significantly. A roll motion damping percentage of 63% and 92% can be achieved for beam and quartering seas, respectively. The control system is also able to reduce both heave and roll motions, simultaneously. The Boarding Control System (BCS) is able to perform its objective when using the split cushion design; namely, damping of vertical bow motions. Hence, the split cushion design should be considered implemented for the full scale vessel. | |
